This application claims the priority of German patent application number 196 41 705.8, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a cover plate for the opening of a shift assembly cover of an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle.
The selector lever of the automatic transmission is guided in the cover plate in a gate whose guide path must be aligned in synchronization with that of the guide for the selector lever in the shift assembly. Since the shift assembly and its cover, which for example is the center console of a vehicle, are mounted separately, tolerances must be compensated between the cover plate and the edge area of the opening of the shift assembly cover that is to be closed by the cover plate.
In a cover plate known from EP 0698755 A2, tolerances with respect to the shift assembly cover can be compensated in a horizontal direction.
There is a need for a cover plate which is additionally able to compensate tolerances in the vertical direction, in other words in the direction of the vertical axis of the vehicle. In addition, the design to be provided must be capable of being manufactured efficiently and economically as well as being visually attractive.
These and other needs have been met according to the present invention by providing a cover plate for an opening of a shift assembly cover in which an edge area of the opening is arched, the cover plate defining a gate opening for a gear selector lever of an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle which lever is mounted on the shift assembly and is movable in the gate, the cover plate being fixedly connected to the shift assembly and to the edge area of the opening of the shift assembly cover, the cover plate being arranged and configured to cover the opening and to compensate for dimensional tolerances between the shift assembly cover and the shift assembly, wherein the cover plate comprises a basic body having an arched peripheral edge and at least one insert arranged radially inwardly of the arched peripheral edge, the basic body being made of an elastic material and the insert being made of a material which is less elastic than the elastic material, the basic body being adjustably coupled to the shift assembly such that the cover plate is adjustable in a direction essentially perpendicular to a plane defined by the opening.
These and other needs have been also met according to the present invention by providing an arrangement for covering an opening in a motor vehicle shift assembly cover, comprising: a basic body including a rib to be coupled to a shift assembly and a peripheral edge to be abutted to an exterior surface of the shift assembly cover, the basic body being configured such that the rib extends through the opening in the shift assembly cover in an assembled position, the basic body being made of an elastic material; and at least one insert fixedly connected to an outer surface of the basic body, one of the inserts defining a gate opening for a shift lever, and an outer surface of the basic body and the at least one insert being convex.
These and other needs have been also met according to the present invention by providing a method for covering an opening in a motor vehicle shift assembly cover, comprising the steps of: forming a basic body including a rib and an outer peripheral surface from an elastic material; coupling the rib to a shift assembly and abutting an outer peripheral edge to an exterior surface of the shift assembly cover such that the rib extends through the opening in the shift assembly cover; fixedly connecting at least one insert to an outer surface of the basic body, one of the inserts defining a gate opening for a shift lever, and an outer surface of the basic body and the at least one insert being convex.
In a design of this kind, tolerances that can no longer be detected by the eye of approximately 2 to 3 mm in all directions between the cover plate and the shift assembly cover can be compensated without difficulty. The shift assembly cover in practice is a "floating" cover for covering the shift assembly, serving for example as the center console of an automatic transmission. The shift assembly, also referred to as a shift block, serves as the starting basis of the position of the cover plate as well as the shift assembly cover surrounding the latter. The cover plate must be permanently connected to the shift assembly, since a shift gate provided in the shift assembly for the selector lever must be aligned in synchronization with the gate in the cover plate. The gate in the cover plate must geometrically match the shape of the selector lever gate in the shift assembly. The variations in position between the opening in the shift assembly cover that serves as the center console and the position of the cover plate determined by the shift assembly are compensated by the design according to the invention in a simple and inconspicuous manner. It is advantageous in this regard to round off the edge of the cover plate with a radius in order thereby to create an inconspicuous shadow gap, possibly leaving local gaps, for larger gap widths between the cover plate and the shift assembly cover.
By virtue of the elastic material provided in the area of the arched edge of the cover plate, for example a relatively elastic plastic, as well as a surrounding insert made of a stiffer material, the edge of the cover plate can abut the supporting surface with a required pressure and provide reliable covering.
In order to permit sufficiently high deformability of the edge, a material constriction is provided between the arched edge and the area that adjoins the gate opening as well as possible additional openings in the cover plate, said area being formed as a relatively stiff frame. This material constriction can advantageously be made in the form of a film hinge.
Inserts in the arched edge of the cover plate that provide support are advantageously trim materials such as chrome, wood, or colored plastic parts for example. Inserts, especially for stiffening the cover plate in the circumferential area of the openings of the cover plate, can likewise be provided and advantageously are simultaneously trim parts made of the above materials.
The inserts to be provided in the arched edge of the cover plate can exert the pressure of the edge onto the supporting surface in the manner of a cup spring.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.